Here’s the next interview with the contributors to my new book An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration From the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers
Lapin is an extraordinary artist, a Frenchman who lives in Spain and travels the world. His work is unique and bound to inspire you. First of all, the man can draw anything and give it enormous character and wit. Secondly, his pages are uniquely his — he draws in old (decades and decades old) lined, ledger books, in ink and watercolor. He has published several books of his work, beautiful replicas of his journals exactly as he created them on various trips .
Lapin discusses his history and technique at length in the book. Here’s an excerpt:
“I grew up in Bretagne near Saint-malo, and now I live between Barcelona and Paris. I started drawing in my very first sketchbook when I was around 4 years old. It was a small notebook with penguins on the cover. All the pages were fully doodled with planes, houses, people, even a “man-house” only sketched with ball point.
Then, as far as I remember I’ve always had some drawings in my school notebooks, and caricatures of the teachers. I sketched some horses to please the girls, some…” (continued)
We had a great, far-wheeling chat in this video and immediately after I started looking for new and interesting surfaces to draw on. He’ll get you going too.
See more of Lapin’s work on his blog and his website.
Danny Gregory 
I am newly inspired. very much so.
Have you, Danny, or anyone else, read/seen Kurt Jackson’s sketchbook? It just blew me away. He uses trash, sand, mud, anything to achieve his effects. I love the energy in his work. He has drawings of his wife all through this book, testifying to his heartfelt art. Kurt is from Great Britain and I think lives on the Cornish coast.
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No, I’ve never heard of Kurt or seen his work. Link?
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http://www.kurtjackson.com/Sketchbook_Page.html
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My book arrived today! I can’t wait to hold my book and watch/listen to the videos simultaneously… I’ll be transported!!! Thank you Danny!
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J’adore Lapin! Ou bien, j’adore les dessins du Lapin.
I just bought one of those Uni pens by Mitsubishi in Paris and I LOVE it!
It’s so interesting that the old ledgers hold up under watercolor whereas new notebooks might not.
I just love the artist-in-residence for two weeks gig that Lapin has. What a cool way to get in touch with a place.
SO inspired.
Merci a vous deux pour cette conversation!
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merci à toi cynthia!
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Am loving these interviews Danny, and am using them to sketch while I listen. You can see my page here; http://kisiwa.blogspot.com/2013/04/journal-page_9.html. Thanks for the inspiration.
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